Resource Library

Resource Library

Our Resource Library is open to all for consultation, though documents must remain in-house. A computer work station offering access to the wide range of resources available on the Internet, is also available to employees and volunteers of non-profit organizations, as well as to trainers, consultants, students and the general public who are interested in the topic of volunteereism.

The library includes resources on topics such as:

General information on volunteering and volunteerism

Volunteer management resources

Managing a non-profit organization

Reports, studies, statistics and trends related to the non-profit sector

For more information or to make an appointment for a consultation, please call us at 514.842.3351.

Bibliothèque virtuelle du patrimoine documentaire communautaire canadien francophone: free access to hundreds of documents and digital images as well as approximately ten hours of video and sound recordings. The library contains theses, notices, research reports, journals and conference texts produced since the 1960's by francophone community organizations in Canada concerned with on social development and transformation.

Registraire des entreprises: A listing of all registered enterprises and associations in Québec. A search engine is provide on the website that provides access to basic information on all registered organizations

For volunteers: comprehensive library of resources and effective practices on volunteering and volunteer management. The site is part of the Points of Light Foundation.

Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada: national association which promotes the professional administration of volunteer resources, certification of membership, continuing education standards and collaboration with provincial, national and international organizations.

Volunteer Canada - Bénévoles Canada: the national voice for volunteerism in Canada. Since 1977, Volunteer Canada has been committed to supporting volunteerism and civic participation through ongoing programs and special projects.

Bénévoles d'affaires: unique and innovative organization, whose mandate is to create a link between business people and community and cultural organizations in order to allow business people to offer their services in their field of expertise and to thus contribute to the rise and effectiveness of community and cultural organizations everywhere in Quebec.

Canada Who Cares: a site created by Linda L. Graff and Paul B. Reed, two Canadian experts on volunteering. In these conversations, they discuss recent research and trends and challenge Canadians to think about how volunteering fits into today's (and tomorrow's) society.

Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development: was established in 1999, as a joint initiative of the Carleton University 's Faculty of Public Affairs and the Centre on Governance of the University of Ottawa. We continue to work closely with the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University and with other academic units through the Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE) and the Financing Civil Society Research Group. Our work is carried out by a small group of centre staff and research associates on campus and out in the community.

Charity Village: a site aiming to encourage and serve Canada's 200,000 charities and non-profit organizations by providing information and services to staff, professionals, volunteers and donors. Coalition pour le maintien dans la communauté: brings together about 70 Montreal organizations in order to promote keeping seniors in their homes.

Fédération des centres d'action bénévole du Québec: a federation of 115 volunteer centres across Québec. Its principal mandate is to promote volunteering in Québec and to support it members in doing the same: volunteer recognition materials and events, press releases, on-line boutique.

Fédération québécoise du loisir en institution: an organization, funded by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, which promotes leisure as a way of achieving therapeutic objectives and improving the quality of life for individuals and groups. It brings together institutions in the health sector and the professionals who work in them for training, education and networking.

Voluntary Sector Forum: The VSF is a network of more than 20 key leadership organizations in the Canadian non-profit and voluntary sector that connect with one another for the purpose of identifying the needs and promoting the interests of the sector.

GivingandVolunteering.ca: created through a collaboration between Imagine Canada and Volunteer Canada for the purpose of providing the public with the statistics and reports coming out of the National Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP, now called the Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating, or CSGVP) carried out in 1997, 2000 and 2004.

Imagine Canada: organization doing research on and creating resources for the voluntary and non-profit sector for the dual purpose of enabling non-profits and charities to achieve their missions and influencing public policy and support for the sector from businesses, government, media and individual Canadians.

Voluntary Gateway: a portal that makes it easier to locate information and resources, as well as facilitate collaboration for the purpose of strengthening communities and social enterprise. It enables connections - to people, programs, organizations and new ideas and is a platform from which users may share assets, dialogue and research.

Réseau de l'action bénévole du Québec (RABQ): created in 2003 as a direct result of the International Year of Volunteers 2001, the Réseau brings together Quebec voluntary and non-profit organizations from all sectors for the purpose of fostering discussion, sharing resources and expertise and promoting volunteerism.

Volunteering Australia: Volunteering Australia is the national peak body working to advance volunteering in the Australian community. Its role is to represent the diverse views and needs of the volunteer sector while promoting the activity of volunteering as one of enduring social, cultural and economic value.

Volunteering England: England's volunteer development agency. Volunteering England works to support and increase the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England.

Plateforme francophone du volontariat: founded in 1974, brings together close to one thousand volunteer-involving associations in Brussells and Wallonie for the purpose of supporting, coordinating and recognizing their efforts.

American Red Cross: founded in 1881, the American Red Cross is the principle emergency response organization in the U.S. It is part of an international movement offering humanitarian aid to victims of war and natural disasters. Over the years, the Red Cross has diversified its activities and now offers community services, sets up support programs for the families of military personnel, handles the donation and distribution of blood, develops education programs promoting health and safety and participates in the development of international aid programs.

Big Brothers Big Sisters: Big Brothers Big Sisters aims to help children attain their full potential thanks to a mentorship program.

Charity Channel: established in 1992, the oldest and largest on line community of non-profit professionals in the work. It connects colleagues from around the corner and around the world for the purpose of learning, sharing and working together to advance the cause of philanthropy.

Energize Inc: founded in 1977, this company offers training, consulting and resources related to volunteering. On the site, you will find a resource library, articles, a referral network, a discussion forum and an on-line journal, E-volunteerism.

Points of Light Foundation: now merged with Hands On Network, a national non-profit in the U.S. whose cores mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world.

Volunteers for Peace: Volunteers for Peace is a non-profit membership organization that offers placement in over 3000 volunteer projects in more than 100 countries. VFP also organizes 50-60 service projects in the United States each year. We exchange volunteers with our international partners, who organize the projects taking place in their own countries.

European Volunteer Centre: a European network of currently 60 mainly national and regional volunteer centres and volunteer development agencies across Europe, that together work to support and promote voluntary activity. CEV channels the collective priorities and concerns of its member organisations to the institutions of the European Union. It also acts as a central forum for the exchange of policy, practice and information on volunteering. The member organisations of CEV represent thousands of volunteer organisations, associations and other voluntary and community groups at local, regional, national and in some cases international level.

France Bénévolat: since September 2003, France Bénévolat has been helping match available and competent volunteers with associations who can benefit from their involvement. International Volunteer Programs Association: an alliance of non-governmental organizations involved in international volunteer work and internship exchanges. The site provides international volunteer opportunities and youth internship exchange programs. Includes tips, funding information, and educational resources.

International Association for Volunteer Effort: founded in 1970 by a group of volunteers from around the world who saw in volunteering a means of making connections across countries and cultures, IAVE is a non-governmental organization. With members from over 70 countries in all regions of the world, it's aim is to promote, strengthen and celebrate the development of volunteering worldwide.

International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day: IVMDay was founded and observed for the first time in 1999. It was developed in order to bring recognition to individual managers of volunteer resources and to promote a greater awareness of the catalytic role that VPM's play in the mobilisation and support of the world's volunteers.

Merrill Associates: website of Mary Merrrill, an international consultant specializing in the management of volunteer resources.

World Volunteer Web: website created by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in partnership with other organizations to support the volunteer community by serving as a global clearinghouse for information and resources linked to volunteerism.

Idealist.org: Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.

United Kingdom

Volunteering England: the national volunteering development agency for England, committed to supporting, enabling and celebrating volunteering in all its diversity. Our work links research, policy, innovation, good practice and grant-making in the involvement of volunteers.

3. Quebec community organizations

Action des femmes handicapées Montréal: AFHM is a feminist non-profit organization, founded in 1986 in the wake of the DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN) of Canada. Our discussion forum enables women with disabilities from other French-speaking countries to join us. The newly formed English speaking discussion forum gives the same opportunity to English speaking women.

Action Habitation: A non-proft social enterprise, Action-Habitation was launched in 1978 with a mission to promote, support and facilitate the development of new cooperative housing projects.

AFEAS: Association féminine d'éducation et d'action sociale, created in 1966, brings together 13,000 women in Québec who are interested in promoting women's rights and improving society through education and social action. It is the merger of two women's groups, Cercles d'économie domestique (CED) and the Union catholique des femmes rurales (UCFR). AFEAS organizes activities across Quebec with the purpose of sharing information and stimulating debate and encouraging its members to participate more fully in the various structures that exist in society. Members also organize concrete projects in their own regions in order to bring about social change.

Alliance des communautés culturelles pour l'égalité dans la santé et les services sociaux: founded in 1984, ACCÉSSS is a federation of more than one hundred community organizations with a mission to promote the integration of members of ethno-cultural communities in Quebec by representing their interests and improving their access to health and social services.

Canadian Mental Health Association:The Canadian Mental Health Association is a nation-wide charitable organization that promotes the mental health of all and supports the resiliency and recovery of people suffering from mental illness. Founded in 1918 as the Canadian National Committee for Mental Hygiene (CNCMH), it is one of the oldest continuing voluntary organizations in Canada.

Association coopérative d'économie familiale (ACEF) Rive-Sud: ACEF Rive-Sud is a non-profit organization which works to defend the rights of consumers on the South Shore of Montreal. Its services and activities offered to groups and individuals, range from providing information, training and counselling to advocacy.

Le Chaînon: Le Chainon has been supporting women in difficulty since 1932 by responding to their basic needs: food, clothing, health care and security. Women are offered short-, medium- and long-term housing as well as other services so that they can take refuge and/or rebuild their lives.

Association du Québec pour l'intégration sociale: AQIS is an organization that works to promote and defend the rights of persons who have an intellectual disability and their families. Founded in 1951 by parents concerned about the well-being and their child, the association now brings together more than 82 associations across Quebec.

Associés bénévoles qualifiés au service des jeunes: Created in 1975 by the Féderation des femmes du Québec and the National Council of Jewish Women (Montreal Section), this organization aims to increase and improve youth volunteer involvement through support, training and supervision of young volunteers.

4. On-line publications

ARNOVA E-News: a quarterly, electronic newsletter launched in the summer of 2003, disseminates research findings that have application implications in the nonprofit sector.

e-Volunteerism: Electronic journal of the volunteer community offered through Energize Inc., offering articles on issues pertaining to the management of volunteers. Feature articles, archive and subscription information.

The Investigator: quarterly series investigating the field of volunteerism, through promoting academic research and providing a bridge from academic research to the hands of practitioners. Published by the RGK Centre, whose mission is to build knowledge about nonprofit organizations, philanthropy and volunteerism, and first appeared in October 2004.

SACAction: newsletter published three times a year by the Secrétariat de l'action communautaire autonome et aux initiatives sociales that aims to present information on the reality of the community sector in Quebec. A different theme is presented in each edition.

The Centre for Volunteering: monthly newsletter published by the Centre for Volunteers (New South Wales, Australia), which covers news, special events, projects and training activities of the centre and the voluntary sector.

Voluntary Action: aims to provide a forum for informed discussion about volunteering and related issues such as active citizenship and social capital. Published three times a year bt the Institute for Volunteering Research in England, the journal examines voluntary action in its broadest sense, including for example, self help and campaigning and visits a range of disciplines in order to make the essential link between research, policy and practice. It also aims to develop theory and practice on volunteering, to compare experiences internationally, and to place policies, programmes and practice in their political, economic and social context.

Volunteer Life: quarterly e-zine on volunteering - the people, causes, communities and companies inspiring us to get involved! Published by the Institute for Volunteering Research in New South Wales, Australia, it celebrates and showcases volunteering and aims to raise awareness of volunteering.

Volunteer Today: e-newsletter for those who manage the work of volunteers in nonprofit, government or corporate programs. Its aim is two-fold: 1) build the capacity of individuals to organize effective volunteer programs; 2) enhance the profession of volunteer management.

CEPE - Centre d'étude sur la pauvreté et l'exclusion: funded by Emploi et Solidarité Sociale Quebec, CEPE is a centre, dedicated to the study of poverty and social exclusion. It aims to provide reliable information to the goverment and work in collaboration with community organization engaged in fighting poverty.

Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse: instituted by the Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, its current name and mandates derive from the merger in 1995 of the former Commission des droits de la personne and the Commission de protection des droits de la jeunesse. The combined mission is to see that human rights are promoted and respected in Québec. The website provides an overview of the current situation and describes the recourses available to people whose rights have been infringed.

An Act respecting health services and social services: An act aiming to maintain and improve the physical, mental and social capacity of persons to act in their community and to carry out the roles they intend to assume in a manner which is acceptable to themselves and to the groups to which they belong.

Québec Portal: General information on all the initiatives, programs and services offered to citizens and enterprises in Québec and internationally by the Government of Quebec and, where applicable, by other organizations, where applicable.

For more information or to make an appointment for a consultation, please call 514.842.3351.